Calm Before the Storm
by Lakeshine
Summary: It really was amazing how the world slows down before you die. How your life flashes before your eyes. How you realize you had left so much unsaid, so much you want to say.
1. Calm Before the Storm

**WARNING THERE IS A CHARACTER DEATH! DO NOT READ IF YOU CAN'T STAND CHARACTER DEATHS!**

**Disclaimer~ If I owned YJ it would be more depressing...**

**Calm Before the Storm**

**Nightwing's POV**

"Team get ready we are almost there" I say sitting in the front and center most seat in the Bio- Ship, Robin and Batgirl on each side of me. Everyone nods, determination on their faces and I am once again grateful for their general acceptance after me telling them all about Artemis being alive and Kaldur not being a traitor, they had understood though they still weren't all that happy, then again they didn't real have time to be, I'm sure I'll get yelled at enough after. We arrive at the location Kaldur had sent us, and the Bio- ship hovers in camouflage mood over the wide open landscape surrounded by mountains on all side but one which had a steep cliff. I spot the two parties, the Light and the Reach and signal for my Team to prepare to engage and watch as the Light and Reach get closer together. I notice that Luthor, Queen Bee, and Klarion are missing from the Light's side but it was undoubtedly so the two more famous of the two could try and fix the Reach's mistakes and Klarion was most likely busy doing his own thing. I also notice that Black Beetle had made an appearance despite having been supposed to be protecting the War World, which the remaining League members were attacking at the moment to gain full control. We had to make sure we trapped them, we didn't want anyone getting away to chase down later. This would end tonight. I spot Wally out of the corner of my eye staring at the disguised Artemis, worry clear on his face as Ra's watches her warily. The Demon Head then stalks forward and rips off her necklace reveling her true form as Artemis. The villains below us immediately turn on her and Kaldur, realization hitting. It was now or never. I nod to signal the start and Miss. Martain opens the hatch and the entire team drops out.

"Kaldur'ahm how could you do this?"I hear Black Manta say before I'm swept into battle, immediately engaging Deathstroke. I see Batgirl and Robin working back to back and Blue Beetle, Superboy, Wondergirl, and Miss. Martain all working together to try and take down Black Beetle. Bumblebee and Gardian were working together to take down foot soldiers of both the Reach and the Light and Beast Boy and La'gann had attacked Ubu and Monsieur Mallah. Impulse and Wally were running circles around the Brain and Artemis was attacking Ra's Al Ghul. Vandel however was unchallenged. I'm brought back to my own fight as Deathstroke swipes at me, hitting the air were I had been moments before with deadly force, enough to cleave me in two but instead catches my utility belt separating it from my person. I manage to grab my eskrima sticks and bring them to a defensive X in font of my face, effectively stopping his next strike.

"Come on Nightwing, I expect better from you" Deathstroke taunts. I growl swing forward my eskrima sticks, attacking him furiously. I manage to land a few hits on him as we are draw away from the rest of the group, closer to the cliff face. To late I realize what is happening. Savage had followed and now begins to attack me to, where I was to far away to shout for help.

"You may have found us and infiltrated our forces _Nightwing" _the super villain growls and I back flip away from his and Deathstroke's attack, getting closer to the precipice. "but with your death your precious Team will fall apart and the Light's plan will once more be put into affect." the villain says swiping at me. I manage to dodge him but the evasion leaves me open and unbalanced. Deathstroke swings his sword forward with the flat of the blade and suddenly I'm falling backwards down, down, down, to the cold hard ground below, the villains turning away triumphant looks on their faces as I plummet to my death. But I feel startlingly calm marveling at the darkening sky as I fell and I reflect.

It really was amazing how the world slows down before you die. How your life flashes before your eyes. How you realize you had left so much unsaid, so much you want to say. Like telling Babs how much I really loved her and how truly sorry I was for putting the Team through my plan to infiltrate the Light. I see the outstretched hand of Wally as he screams my name but I can't do anything, I'm falling, falling. How fitting it was for me to die the same way my parents did all those years ago, no safety net to catch me. Thanks to Deathstroke I was without my utility belt so there was no chance of using my grapple line to latch onto something with at the last possible second, not that there was much to grab on the barren cliff face. The only things I had were my eskrima sticks not much good in saving my life in a fall. I sigh accepting my fate and try to focus on the good moments of my short life. The first day when the Team was formed, the New Years day when we had defeated the mind controlled League, the pride as our Team grew, adding new members, the adrenaline from fights, the day I had finally worked up the courage to ask Barbra out. Then the bad moments in life force their way into my mind, the day of my first families deaths, Zatanna and my breakup, the arguments between me and Bruce leading to me becoming Nightwing, the deaths of Tula and Jason. _Bruce. _This would kill him, him and Tim. I see Artemis join her boyfriend at the cliff edge and her mouth opens yelling something and Blue Beetle racing over and spotting, me zooming down to catch me. I glance down at the ground below and judge the distance, knowing Blue would never reach me in time, but instead of being scared I felt strangely calm. There were many things I regretted like leaving Tim, leaving Wally, leaving Barbra, but I would finally be able to see my parents after 10 painful years, see little Jason and finally apologize for not upholding my promise to keep him safe. I hear a scream of anguish reach my ears as Barbra joins the retired heroes and I can see the horror on her face. I close my eyes unwilling to stand it and a bright white light fills my vision as I hit the ground followed by blinding, red hot pain then blissful blackness.

**... what did I just write? I have no clue but well I guess if you guys want the Team's reaction, whether each indivual or whatever... please**

**Review**

**~Lakeshine**


	2. Too Late

**Hey guys this isn't my favorite... I hope you guys like it alright...**

**Disclaimer~ Refer to chapter 1**

**Too Late**

**Batgirl's POV**

"Nightwing!" I hear Wally yell. I kick away the Reach soldier I was fighting and look to my fighting partner, Tim who gives me a nod without looking saying he can handle the soldiers I jump up ,using one of our enemies as a springboard, and launch myself out of the fighting trying to spot the ex-speedster when I hear a shout from Artemis.

"NO!" she screams. I locate her voice and zone in, spotting her next to Wally at the cliff's edge. The red head's hand was reaching over the cliff face, as if reaching for something... or some_one. _I sprint over and see Blue Beetle doing the same except in the air. He reaches them first and dives down suddenly. _Shit shit shit. _I think to myself, blood going cold as my mind put it all together to form a gruesome puzzle. Wally yelling Nightwing, Artemis's scream, Blue's dive. I reach the cliff's edge, my horrible suspicion confirmed, Nightwing, Dick was _falling. _Blue was in hot pursuit but he wouldn't make it in time and Dick's utility belt lay far of, cut away. I feel my mouth open and a scream is tore from it as I watch, horror stricken as my boyfriend hits the ground. Blue stops in midair, hovering a few feet above, a few seconds to late. I let loose another scream and feel the battle freeze around me, eyes burning into my back. I ignore them, closing my eyes and cur as blood began to leak from the broken body below.

_"What, what happened? where's Nightwing?" _M'Gann stutters telepathically as everyone remains frozen, villains and heroes alike, trying to figure out what happened. Wally, Blue, Artemis and I remain silent.

"Nightwing is dead!" Vandel Savage suddenly announces, standing on a large rock, Deathstroke by his side. There is a stunned silence before a cheer goes up from the villains and they begin to fight again. The Team meets them clumisly, in utter shock their collective voices all yelling in the mind-link, begging it to not be true.

_"Quiet!" _Wally shouts mentally racing back into battle, tears in his eyes. Artemis and Blue follow, but I stay beside the cliff, still in total and utter shock. "_Yes it's true... Nightwing is... gone" _Wally tells everyone, silencing all of the other voices. The team continues to fight but I can see they were getting sloppy, the shock dulling their reflexes. The battle begins to change tides, and I barely dodge in time as a black boot swings out at me. I jump to my feet spotting Deathstroke and I growl low in my throat.

"You did this" I spit, throwing 3 batarangs at him. He deflects them with ease using his sword.

"Yes I did girlie, and I'm quite proud of it" he says swiping at me with his sword, I back-flip out of way, nearly slipping of the cliff. "Who knows maybe I'll get the privilege of taking down _two _bats today" he mocks, swiping at me. I lose my balance and begin to fall myself, closing my eyes, not bothering to save myself.

"BG!" someone yells but I don't respond. Before I can hit the ground though something stops my free fall. I open my eyes to revel a smiling Superman. He flies up, placing me on the ground where I then see the rest of the Leagurs who had been on Rimbor, fighting off the Reach and Light.

"Well time to go" Vandel remarks, dashing away. Deathstroke follows his lead and the others try to copy them, only Black Beetle, Ra's Al Ghul, and Ubu succeeding. The Team collect silently, Tim standing next to me, as the League rounds up the villains before walking over to us.

"Good job Team, looks like we arrived just in time" Superman remarks and I hear a choked sob from M'Gann. Confusion ripples across the faces of the League members.

"Why are you so upset? You just took on both the Light and the Reach and we captured much of them. And Kaldur'ahm is not a traitor as we feared" Wonder Woman says.

"We may have won today's battle but at a steep cost" Kaldur says, his eyes downcast. The adults scan our lines, shock and horror entering their faces as they realized one was missing.

"Where is Nightwing?" Batman asks and I can hear the slight note of desperation in his voice. No one on the team answers all turning away from his gaze. Tim lets out a sob, hiding his face in my cape. Bruce repeats himself taking a step forward. "Where. Is. Nightwing." he growls giving us all the Batglare but I can see through it, seeing the worried father underneath. I force my gaze up to stare right at him, tears leaking from my eyes and I point over the cliff. Bruce runs forward and peeks over, crumpling to his feet as he spots the body. "No..." he whispers. The adults join him, adding their wails and tears, as does the team needing to see it themselves. _"How would, could we recover from this?"_ I wonder to myself as we all break down, losing one of the first and youngest. A brother, friend, son, leader, and boyfriend... gone. And I cried.

**I guess if you want more I'll continue... if not thats fine too...regardless please **

**REVIEW**

**~Lakeshine **


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